Make Up
			       By Rachael

Ranma hugged his knees up to his chest as he looked out into the night. The
air was crisp and fresh, but his depression was rather emense. He and Akane
had been fighting once again, but this time they each hit a nerve. Ranma 
clenched a fist tightly as he starred at a star. 

'Stupid Akane, always getting upset over the stupidest stuff..." Ranma 
gripped bitterly.

'What was that, Ranma?' a stern voice saked from behind. Ranma jumped visably
and turned quickly. Startled, he came face to face with the one person he 
didn't want to deal with at the moment.

'Akane! What are you doing here?' his surprised voice betrayed his true 
anger.

Her expression softened slightly, but not her voice. 'Same thing as you I 
suppose.' She sat down on the roof a few feet from him and looked up at the
moon. There was a long silence. Ranma shifted uncomfortably.

Akane let out a sigh and layed down on her back. She never realized how 
uncomfortable the shingles could really be. How could Ranma stand it up here
anyway?

'I guess it's the solitude...' she mumbled to herself. Ranma turned to her
with a harsh but bewildered stare.

'What did you say Akane?" He turned to her and noticed she was laying on her 
back. A sudden breeze sent a chill down his back. It was awefully cold up
here. He watched Akane shiver slightly, and he noticed she was still wearing
her sleeveless shirt and shorts.

Akane turned to look at him with a bewildered look. 'What Ranma?'

'You said something, what was it?' Ranma asked.

'I did?...Gee, I don't remember saying anything...' Akane sat up and looked 
at him. She looked back up to the sky and shook her head softly. Ranma 
watched as her short hair shook too. A breeze sent her hair waving, even 
after she had stopped shaking her head. Suddenly, Ranma noticed the wind had
stopped too. Akane was shaking!

'Akane, are you cold, cause if you are...' Ranma started. Akane looked at him
and smiled weakly.

'That's alright Ranma, I'm okay...' Akane said, a slight shake in her voice.
The moon shone brightly over her, illuminating her face angelicly. Why's he
being so nice she wondered. He should be mad at me right now... In fact, why
did I even decide to come out here? I knew he'd be out here...

'No, it's not alright Akane. Here, take my shirt.' Ranma unbuttoned his shirt
and wrapped it around her. It was warm and soft, like Akane had always 
imagined it would feel like. She noticed that now all Ranma had was his under
shirt.

'But what about you Ranma?' she asked.

'I'll be okay...' his voice trailed off as they locked eyes. The cool breeze
rustled his hair. His deep blue eyes drew her in and she knew what to do.

'No, that's very fair of me Ranma,' Akane said defensively. She scotted over
and sat next to him, lending her new found warmth to him as she wrapped the
extremely large shirt around both their shoulders.

There was a long embarressing silence. 'Akane, do you have any idea how weird
this has to look?' Ranma asked with a strange laugh.

'Yeah,' she laughed giltily. Ranma looked at her as she starred at the stars.
She shivered again. Ranma frowned. Stupid girl, he thought. Ranma slipped the
right side of his shirt around his shoulder and wrapped his left arm around 
her shoulders. He let the rest of his shirt cover her. 

Akane started at his warm arm and looked at him in surprise. Ranma...she 
thought.

'Are you really that cold Akane?' Ranma drew her closer as he felt the goose-
bumps on her soft shoulders. They were so cold, but firm and soft like silk.
He had never imagined Akane to be so soft, never so timid or gentle... He
marveled in the revelations running through his mind. Akane laid her head on
Ranma's shoulder and smiled.

'Not anymore...' she said quietly. He smiled as he looked down on her. 

'Dumby,' he said quietly. 'Coming out here in a sleeveless shirt and shorts.'

'And what's that supposed to mean?' she whispered off handedly, putting 
little emotion into the words. She yawned. There was a long pause.

'Akane, why did you come out here tonight?' Ranma asked in a serious tone 
that threw Akane out of her blissful world and back to reality.

'I don't really know,' she said awkwardly. 'I was just kind of drawn out here
by some unseen force...' her voice suddenly stopped. Ranma looked at her and
felt a rather deep disappointment, but he wasn't too sure why. Or maybe he
just refused to admite he knew why.

'Why Ranma?' she asked him.

'Because I never knew you were one to come out here ar night,' Ranma said.
Akane looked up at him.

'I use to come up here all the time. The cool air, the stars, the moon, but 
since you came, I just haven't had the energy or time.' Ranma felt Akane 
shrug.

'Are you sorry I came?' he asked. Akane stopped breathing. She could feel 
herself getting angry.

'How could you Ranma?' she asked in a hurt voice as she began to pull away. 
'How can you ask me a question like that!?' she glared up into his eyes, 
trying to pull completely away from him, but his strong arm kept her in his
grip. SHe felt trapped.

'Akane...' he stopped and looked her in the eye. She could feel the anger 
growing deep inside her. How could he ask a question like that?! he mind 
screamed. Suddenly, she saw what she had never seen in Ranma, weakness. Not
imagined, but real vonerbility. Her train of thought suddenly did a back 
flip.

'No. No Ranma, I could never be sorry...' she broke his stare and looked down
at the roof she was sitting on. The stars twinkled, but it was late and they
would be disappearing soon. Suddenly she realized she had been out there for
several hours. She yawned again.

Ranma looked at her as she examined her seat. Suddenly he felt like he had 
punched her. Like he had stabbed her in the back and betrayed what little 
trust they had finally developed. On impulse, he pulled he closer to him, 
twisting both of them so that they were face to face.

'Akane...' she looked at him in surprise. 'Akane,' he said more strongly. 
'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.' She opened her mouth to say
something but he quickly placed his finger to her lips.

'Listen,' he whispered to her. She had to strive to hear his faint voice. His
hands rested on her bare shoulders, his shirt had slipped off them both, and
neither knew where it was, but little did they care. Ranma looked Akane in 
the eyes and she saw a courage that was so different fro many she had ever 
seen in his face that it almost scared her.

'Akane, today, I realized how easy it is to hurt and be hurt. And I want to 
say sorry.' Akane opened her mouth again but Ranma shook his head. 'Akane,
there's something very important I have to say to you.'

Akane felt her stomache tighten. Oh no, she thought. Now? Here?

'Akane, I must know. Do you love me?' His look was desperate, but he 
continued. 'Akane, I know we've had some hard months together and everytime I
lose you it hurts, but it seems your words hurt twice as much. I've realized 
that what I do is not only for my martial arts, it's for love.' Ranma's voice
was hard with the truth of confession.

But it suddenly became soft. 'Akane,' he whispered, a new look in his eyes. 
His look gave her happy little butterflies. 'Akane, I love you.' 

At first she was too stunned to move, but then, when the full momentume of 
his words hit her she could think of nothing else to do but throw her arms 
around his neck.

'I love you too,' she cried into his shoulder. Surprised, Ranma caught her 
easily, but her tears bewildered him. He wrapped his arms around her and felt
her hot tears collect in his shoulder. After a few long moments, Akane dried
up.

Akane shivered. Ranma smiled and picked her up. oUt of the corner of his eye,
he noticed the rising sun. Akane seemed lighter in his arms tonight. He 
smiled at the thought. Jumping down to the fron porch, Ranma set Akane down, 
where she pressed her lips to his in a sudden rush of courage.

Ranma's eyes widened as two soft lips connected to his. They were lush and 
the passion coming from them was like electricity to his brain. Akane felt
Ranma's rough lips search her for energy, pulling at her and drawing her in.
His arms snaked around her and drew her close to him. She slid her hands up
his firm muscular back. 

They broke apart and stood there, holding each other. Akane put her head on 
his shoulder and sighed. To her surprise she yawned. Ranma smiled and lifted
her in his arms. He carried her inside and up the stairs. He opened to door 
to her room and placed her on her bed. She was already half asleep. He kissed
her sweetly on the cheek and left. She moaned his named and turned over. 

Ranma pulled the covers over her and crept out, softly shutting the door. He 
leaned against it and let out a deep sigh.

'I've got to admit, I'm jealous,' Ryoga said from beside him. Ranma jumped 
about a foot off the ground and turned to him.

'R..ryouga! Wha...what are you doing here?' he gasped. A smiled crossed
Ryoga's face.


The next morning, Akane and Ranma both slept in late, but when they awoke, 
P-chan was there to great a blushing Akane and a bruised Ranma.

-------------------

So what did yah think? I wrote this spontaniously. It's also my first attempt
at a romantic like story. I hope you enjoyed it. Send your comments to me at
moonlightkiss@geocities.com .